Swimming with the Current

09/13/2016 05:37 pm ET

A valuable blueprint for making life run smoothly is to embrace difficult situations as opportunities for learning and personal growth. We need to move away from questioning, Why me? On some level we find ourselves in circumstances by choice or as the product of our past decisions that have a type of domino effect. It does not mean we are being punished. It is as if we are maneuvering around our own misdirections that often have unforeseen consequences. Surprisingly, there are times when we are led to these difficulties by a higher power, our soul self. Some people refer to this as the “higher self,” and it is the part of us that is connected through the subconscious mind to the Universal Mind connecting us all.

Our higher self has an expanded vision of why we may be at a potential crossroad in our life and the purpose underlying the trials that we are experiencing. The higher self is looking at the big picture, seeking spiritual growth, and is not as concerned about moment-to-moment occurrences.

In our physical beings, our perceptions may be clouded. We may not understand the natural flow of our lives and as a result may fight against it as we disagree with what we experience. How we respond is a huge test of faith in a Higher Power that knows and understands what path is best for us to follow.

The life we have is a gift; the harsh experiences we endure are lessons that move us forward and build inner strength. When we eventually look back, only then will we see our experiences with clarity, when their meanings were initially shrouded for us. Try understanding this now so you may rise up to your current challenges and not fear what life throws your way.

When a higher power begins leading us in a direction, we take on the lead role of our own screenplay. Sometimes events and coincidences are brought in to support the unique path our life is taking. Through free will, we always have choices for making decisions that move us forward in personal growth or keep us where we are. Everything that happens in your life is an opportunity for personal growth.

Many of these choices can be challenging to make; that is the test. They may even require soul searching and sacrifice; their purpose may not always be immediately clear. There are many reasons why a circumstance presents itself, as the life lessons we each face are different depending on where we are on our own path. You may have to hold your breath and just keep moving through the difficult times. However, if the decision feels in alignment with your inner core, you will know that you are working with the divine plan. If we make decisions that resonate with the path that our higher self is mapping out for us, we usually feel lighter and more at peace with our decisions.

In a difficult circumstance, more than likely we will be challenged to act with our heart as well as our head. This is a common lesson for us in physical reality, especially in a society that is fast moving and impersonal, keeping our minds continually engaged. It is in our hearts where real personal growth takes place, and as it is usually an underused muscle, it often seeks to protect itself from internal or external emotional threats. When this type of lesson confronts us, the decisions will not be easy and emotions will surface. Let them! We need to remember that this is exactly the learning process necessary for our soul’s growth.

When there are great challenges and heavy burdens to carry, we sometimes wonder, Why is this happening to me? or Why does this always happen to me? The answer is that lessons, through obstacles placed in our path, continue occurring until we learn, embrace the change, and expand within the lesson. Sometimes we have to learn how to lose before we can learn how to win.

After I left the big firms on Wall Street to work on my own, I thought that given my experience it would be easy. This was far from the truth. I stumbled many times, needing to learn lessons in empathy and understanding before I could build a practice that served individuals. Indeed, there were a number of years of challenging learning situations before I succeeded.

If you look at professional sports, you will observe that there are teams that come so close to winning but ultimately end up in defeat. Then, the following year, as a result of the lesson of failure, they put it all together and take the championship. Even in political races we see a candidate run for office and come up short, only to learn from his or her mistakes and achieve victory the next time around.

No matter what is occurring for you, try to understand that we are never alone, especially when faced with difficult issues in our lives. Love is on the other side of the veil waiting to catch us. Knowing this to be the case, we can experience life’s hardships, understanding there is a support structure in place that knows about our struggles as we move through our earthly lessons.

There is a perpetual cosmic dance that plays over and over like a beautiful ballet. What we may perceive as random events placing us in the middle of chaos can be viewed with much precision and satisfaction by those in the nonphysical realm. They know that the bigger the challenge is for us, the greater is the lesson. And the saying “God does not give us anything we cannot handle” rings true.

Eventually, with the passing of time, hopefully we will look back even with laughter and confidence that we persevered through the tough circumstances. When this happens, then we are ready for our next lesson. Even better, with our experience and knowledge we are in a position to help others. And so the cycle continues.